Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble
Meals at Gryffindor table became a reoccurring spectacle. With the second task looming closer and closer, and still no concrete plan in place, the four champions started eating together. Harry and Adrian on one side and Krum and Fleur on the other; their heads bent together as they discussed and scoured through books. The food sitting in front of them was mostly forgotten.
Their group garnered attention they chose to ignore. The four champions seemingly becoming friends overnight became a popular topic amongst the students. People liked to gawk. All the different schools seemed confused by the interaction. From the raised dais, McGonagall and Madame Maxime looked on with gentle pride. Only Karkaroff appeared uncomfortable with this development.
It wasn't just in the Great Hall either. The four champions could be seen studying together in the library' studiously ignoring the whispers coming from the shelves as they were spied on by the student body. We tried the water-repellant charm again now that we had four people (Me standing in for Adrian). In the prefects' pool, it worked. But still, the idea was discarded. The lake was too deep. A pool was possible with four people. But the water pressure and its weight would be too much in the lake.
With Fleur helping Harry, everyone could cast the bubble head charm. But the risk of it couldn't be mitigated. So, it became their emergency backup plan. Krum mentioned human transfiguration as an option. It was considered. Krum and Fleur would practice just in case. But we ruled it out. Human transfiguration wasn't something Harry would be able to master as a fourth year. And Adrian, well...
"You're going to have to tell them", I whispered as I added lacewing flies to my cauldron. Fleur and Krum were suspicious. Rightfully so. Whenever the champions decided to practice with water, I stood in for Adrian. We weren't being subtle. Only manners and concern for our tentative alliance kept them from asking outright.
Adrian sighed, knife stilling as he chopped up dittany roots. "Please, Holly", he tried; ignoring the glower Snape sent our way. "Not during class".
I smiled at Snape in return; causing the potion's master's forehead to wrinkle. For not the first time, Snape probably wondered what was wrong with me. "I have detention tonight, remember?" Focusing back on Adrian, I tried to not let my cauldron bubble over. "Meaning I can't stand in for you. Meaning you're going to have-"
"Holly", Adrian broke in. A little louder than was advisable for a class. "Please". He looked ill.
Pursing my lips, I backed off for now. They'd find out, I promised myself. Eventually, Fleur and Krum would know why Adrian never gets his feet wet. Hopefully soon. So, Adrian's phobia could be included in their plans. He didn't want his vulnerability exposed like this; I was aware. But I couldn't think of another way around it. Other than… you know, him leaving me at the bottom of the lake. Which was one plan Adrian already refused to accept.
Picking up my ladle, I stirred my potion twice clockwise and then once counterclockwise. Pushing Adrian never really works. He's the sort who tends to dig his heels in the more he feels forced. The only way to get Adrian to do anything he didn't want to do was to make him think it was his own idea or surprise him when there was no time for him to refuse. Both ways were tricky and the last always ended in a fight. But I couldn't think of any different approaches. None that would work. Adrian was too mulish for anything else.
Snape made his rounds and stopped by the table Adrian and I occupied. He said nothing as he loomed over our cauldrons with his hands clasped behind his back and studied our brews with a judgmental air. Terrifying when you're eleven. But as sixth years, we were used to it. In fact, Adrian's spine seemed to loosen under Snape's scrutiny. Probably because I couldn't say much with Snape so close.
"Professor Snape?" I asked; causing the potion's master to stare down at me from behind his large hooked nose. "For detention tonight, will I get to gut toads?"
Adrian eyed me suspiciously as Snape adopted a bewildered expression. One that was barely masked by his general dark countenance. Arguably, no one had ever asked him such a question before. "That decision is not in your purview, Weasley", Snape scowled; recovering nicely.
I did my best to look disappointed. "Come on, Professor. Please. I was really looking forward to getting my hands dirty".
Snape sniffed as if he found this whole exchange to be painful. "In that case, I suggest you take in the state of your robe sleeves. Uncleanliness is something you have already accomplished". Glancing down, I could only shrug in response. Snape wasn't wrong. There was a rim of grime around both my sleeves. Today's potion called for an excessive amount of pond scum and I didn't see the point of charming myself clean until class was over. Looking up, I saw Snape already turned away; heading in the direction of the next table. Though he still took the time to call over his shoulder, "Five points from Gryffindor for the impertinence".
Pleased with myself, I turned back to stirring my cauldron. That was one task done for the day. Though the feeling of eyes boring into me had me pausing before glancing to my right.
Adrian sat stony-faced with a question burning behind his gray pupils. He didn't have to speak it for me to know what it was. "Reverse psychology", I whispered. Just so Snape wouldn't be able to overhear. "If Snape thinks I want to gut toads, he'll ask me to do something else". After all, what would be the point of detention if a student enjoyed it?
Scoffing, Adrian shook his head. "That will never work".
That afternoon, during the Weasley Triplets' Hour, I collapsed on the red velvet sofa; forcing myself between Fred and George. They huffed in amusement; forced to make room as my book bag fell from my shoulder and thumped despondently on the carpeted floor of Gryffindor Common.
"Long day, Holls?" George asked in good humor as he closed his Transfiguration text. At this time of day, the common room was mostly empty. Most of the younger years were still in class. And the older years who had a free block were either studying quietly in tucked-away corners or were elsewhere in the castle.
"Not yet", I grumbled; twisting sideways to lean most of my weight on Fred. "But I have detention with Snape right after dinner". I fiddled with the little silver ring on my left hand as I answered.
My brothers sniggered at my plight. All of us had spent many evenings in Professor Snape's company, so sympathy was no longer warranted. Only Professor McGonagall still had that honor and only because she knew us so well. Meaning she had no problem writing our Mum and staying in cahoots with her. Although, neither of us had a detention with her since McGonagall became headmistress.
Pressing my face against Fred's shoulder, I admitted what had been weighing on me for days. "I'm scared".
Those two words had a stronger effect on my brothers than they would on most people. George placed his Transfiguration book onto the arm of the sofa as Fred wiggled an arm until it was free to wrap around my shoulders. Only to become entwined when George did the same. It wasn't quite a Weasley Sandwich. But we were close.
"The champions aren't any closer to figuring out the whole underwater thing and Adrian still hasn't told Fleur and Krum about…" What was a polite but descriptive way to describe Adrian's aversion to water?
"About Pucey's inability to bathe like a normal person?" Fred filled in the blank for me.
I sighed. It wasn't what I was going for but… "Yeah, that", I agreed.
"We've been thinking about that too", George said; causing me to look at him. Why would they think about that? Other than to argue that Adrian was a poor life choice, my fellow triplets were genuinely happy to ignore my love life.
"You don't have to worry, Jolly Holly", Fred said, accompanied by a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder. "George and I have a plan to rescue you from the lake if Pucey falls short. Little Ronnikins too. Just in case. We won't let the merpeople keep you two as pets. What would Mum say?"
"That's not it", I said with a dry snort; a vision of myself being taken for a walk… swim by a mermaid filling my head. Besides, it wasn't like McGonagall would ever leave a student at the bottom of the lake. "I'm worried about-"
"Pucey's hygiene", George cut me off; putting words in my mouth.
Groaning, I slumped further against Fred. Not that I'd find any respite from him. Fred's chest vibrated with a laugh as he added, "We've been worried about that too. It's important to wash daily, as any respectable wizard would know".
"So, Fred and I have been working on a new soap".
"No water needed", Fred continued. "Just lather on and the dirt and germs will fall off along with the suds. It's ingenious really".
"Something every household will want. Especially if there are the sort who likes to camp". George made it sound like a sales pitch; making me think this wasn't just a jest and there truly would be a line of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes soap in the future.
"And for your sake, sister dear, we'll give Pucey a free supply. Just so you won't have to go through life with someone who doesn't wash".
Picking up my head, I stopped fidgeting with my ring and frowned at Fred. "Oh, how considerate of you".
In sync, my fellow triplets bobbed their heads as if they had just bestowed a great blessing upon me. "Yes", George agreed with me. "There is just one small thing. The soap may make the user's skin appear to be pink or green or purple for a short time. Not sure why. Haven't figured that part out yet". The frown fell off my face. Prank soap. My mind was already coming up with ideas of how to use it.
"But it's a small price to pay for being clean, right?" Fred asked; smiling innocently.
"When you're done making that soap, we need to send some to Percy", I said before redirecting back to the topic at hand. "But that's not what I'm worried about-"
I was interrupted again. "Oh, we will definitely be sharing some with Percy", said George. "But Flint might be a better person to try it".
This had me distracted. I glanced back and forth between Fred and George. Had they figured it out; Percy's untold truth? "Junior or senior?" I asked for clarification. After all, there were plenty of reasons to send Lord Flint skin-changing soap. With all his scheming and lofty goals (even though they were goals we were aligned with), the man deserved to be the punchline of a few jokes.
Despite our tangled positions, Fred managed to shrug. "Both", he suggested.
Before we could start planning exactly how we would get this soap to the Flint family, I shook my head to break the distraction. There will be plenty of time to make the Flints look like Smurfs after the second task. "I'm worried Adrian won't be ready for the second task", I pushed ahead. "He hasn't managed the water once since the champions started working together. Only Harry knows why. Though Fleur and Krum probably have suspicions by now. I'm worried Adrian will end up hurt on the day of the task when he tries to do something he isn't prepared to do". That said, I had to take deep gulps of air. It had been a rush to get all of that out in one go.
Fred and George allowed me to catch my breath in silence. Giving me time to think as well. Hopefully, they understood. Or at least to an extent. Water had its dangers. But it was the most perilous when it was feared. Adrian could drown a second time if he couldn't overcome his phobia. And in a tournament that made it clear champions had died before, I had little faith that the judges would save him. And the little faith that existed relied solely on McGonagall.
"Can you help?" I asked; turning my eyes to stare into the flames of the fire. Since it was January, it burned around the clock to keep the common room warm. The house elves would keep it that way until late April. Usually, that was when Spring started its seasonal defrost. "Adrian and the other champions, I mean. Can you think of a plan they haven't?"
I didn't need to see to know they passed a look over my head. "We can do that", George agreed. "Harry's easy to help". Which translated to; Harry would let them help.
"But Fleur and Krum", started Fred. "Would they let us get involved?"
My reply came too quickly and paired annoyingly with the crackling fire. "I think so". I hoped so because, in truth, I didn't know. "What about Adrian?" I asked before either of my brothers could poke at my answer. "You think he'll accept your help?"
Fred relaxed against the back sofa cushion as George picked up his transfiguration book once more. "Nothing to bother about", George said.
"We know how to handle Pucey", Fred finished for him.
Their confidence calmed me. Even though I knew such a statement would only infuriate Adrian if he ever heard it.
Covered in slime and gore my hands were slippery as they tried to keep a good grip on the little toad corpse and my knife. The smell was rancid and it took great effort not to make faces. My plan hadn't worked. After entering the potions lab after dinner, I was greeted with the sight of hundreds of tiny little bottles and more dead toads than Snape would ever need for a term. He must have a supplier, I thought; doing my best to smile just so Snape wouldn't think he had won. How else could Snape get so many toads so quickly?
Snape sat behind his desk. A quill in hand and an inkwell of red ink sitting next to his dominant hand. On the opposite side were stacks of parchment. Probably the holiday essay assignments if I had to guess. He stoically and dutifully marked the parchment in front of him. Like an executioner signing death certificates. Though, once in a while, whatever he read must have truly been dismal because Snape would forget himself and his upper lip would curl back in a sneer.
Using two fingers, I slipped them inside a cut slit in a toad's belly and scooped out its guts. The important bits made it into the little glass bottle I had in front of me. While the more… liquid aspects ended up dripping onto the table or dribbling down my wrist. Forget Adrian. I'd need Fred and George's new soap after this.
What was the shelf life of toad guts? I asked myself. Would Snape be able to use all this before it expired? Filling one bottle, I tossed the empty toad body into a bucket sitting by my feet before pushing the cork into place. It nearly slipped out of my fingers.
We worked in silence. Something I tried to avoid at the beginning of detention. It was fun to see what I could say to provoke a response from Snape. Especially when the only thing I had to fear from him was another detention. But he had learned from our previous detentions and stubbornly refused to indulge me. Even after I tried to get his opinion on the mind-body conundrum. And here I had believed Snape enjoyed our back and forth as much as I did. But silence won in the end. And it wasn't long before I was watching the clock and waiting for this detention to be over.
I filled one bucket of toad bodies when the door to the potion lab slammed open. Startled; the noise caused my knife to drop from my hand and clatter on the table. Only luck prevented me from accidentally cutting myself.
Snape's head snapped up at the intrusion; a scowl and the promise of retribution for the poor sod who disturbed him already on his face. However, unfortunately for Snape, the person who entered wasn't a student. "Severus", Karkaroff spoke urgently as he stalked forwards; the door swinging shut behind him. "We must talk".
"Karkaroff", Snape growled low in warning; his eyes flashing in my direction.
But Karkaroff didn't notice. Maybe he was too worked up. Maybe he didn't care. "Things are progress. Each day it darkens and burns", Karkaroff talked animatedly with his arms; approaching Snape's desk with each step. I tried to hold and breath and not move. As if that would be enough to keep Karkaroff talking. "How will we respond? We must be pre-"
Snape stood up with enough force that this desk rattled. The furious shadowed expression on his face was enough to strike Karkaroff dumb. Nostrils flaring, Snape took a moment to stare Karkaroff down. "There is nothing to discuss", Snape said. His eyes washed over me again. Except this time, he held them there as a way to direct Karkaroff's attention. When Karkaroff was looking at me too, the silent 'there's nothing to discuss in present company' might as well have been spoken aloud.
Knowing I would not be forgotten any time soon, I allowed myself to breathe. Karkaroff pursed his lips and frowned in my direction. As if it was my fault this conversation would not happen. Though he wasn't discouraged for long. "Then where can we speak?" Karkaroff demanded. "Time is not on our side. Severus, we need to-"
Snape's robes billowed around his ankles as he stepped around his desk and moved to meet Karkaroff. It was a dramatic enough motion that it kind of reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera. But I guess it served its purpose. Karkaroff lost his words as soon as Snape moved.
"Follow me if you insist on this path", Snape said; already heading for the door. "But know I will not hear anymore after this".
Karkaroff gawked after him. Not at all like one would imagine how a head of a wizarding institution would act. "Yes, Severus", Karkaroff agreed once he recovered; almost sounding grateful. "Yes, that will be fine". He turned to hurriedly shadow Snape's footsteps.
I twisted in my seat to watch them go; shivering. And it wasn't because of the slime and guts chilling on my hands. Was… Was Snape really going to leave in the middle of a detention? At the door, Snape stopped and glared at me from over his shoulders. "Weasley", he addressed. "When you've finished with all the toads, you may go. Leave the bottles on my desk".
The creaked open as Snape pulled on the door handle.
"Wait, Professor!" I called; standing on shaking knees before I knew what I was doing. "Remember what happened last time you left me alone during detention?" Visions of that night bombarded me. Even though I knew it was irrational. Lockhart and You-Know-Who weren't here. That wouldn't happen again. But… It didn't feel like that. "I… Please don't?"
As if I were a pesky fly, Karkaroff seemed offended by my interference. Though he was easy to ignore in light of a conflicted glint in Snape's eyes. Snape had been there that night. The tail end of it. He saw how close Lockhart/Riddle had been. Knew how genuinely shaken I'd been… Was that enough?
"You may go", Snape said after a moment. "But you will not speak a word of this".
I nodded; hands quieting a little. This year for teacher appreciation, I know what I'll thank Snape for. By the time I collected myself and was ready to leave, Karkaroff and Snape were already gone.